Incredible isn’t it, here we are at the beginning of another year and rapidly heading toward the end of January. And undoubtedly, with a new year came the inevitable resolutions.
Although it may seem a distant memory, I’m sure as you enjoyed the festive break you will have had an opportunity to review, reflect and start to formulate what your 2017 sales success looks like.
You may have decided to improve lead quality, streamline your sales process, enter a new market, increase your market share or all of the above. Whatever your B2B sales objectives for the new year, research tells us that only 8% of you will achieve them – after all it’s all too easy to let these resolutions slip in just a matter of weeks. So to ensure you stay on track, take a look at a few tips to help you achieve your 2017 growth ambitions:
Maxmimise your B2B sales conversations
Understanding your prospect’s specific motivations is fundamental to the success of the buying cycle. However, no matter how many forms your prospects fill in or downloads they may make, nothing beats the art of conversation.
Having direct conversations with your prospects is vital to building meaningful relationships whilst enhancing your company’s creditability. It also enables you to learn more about your prospect’s specific needs, ensuring your proposition with resonate strongly with them and providing information which wouldn’t otherwise be accessible.
Direct conversations come in many forms; the effectiveness of which will differ depending on your industry and audience. But from traditional telemarketing to social sharing and commenting on forums, building personal conversations will enhance engagement, help refine your communication message and build your brands persona.
Empower your sales team
An effective sales team is one of the most valuable assets any company can possess and the catalyst to driving revenue growth. But to build an effective sales team and maximize their performance they must be highly engaged and driven. And with engagement comes empowerment.
So engage your sales teams with your company’s wider B2B growth plans, not just by department. Encourage them to share their thoughts – take them on-board and collaborate as a team. Make them accountable for their input – set new goals to motivate and value their contribution towards reaching the objectives in-hand.
Review your processes
B2B Sales processes and the tools and technology available are constantly evolving. Companies that have a formal sales process have an 18% revenue growth over those who don’t, so be progressive, critique your process and formalise.
Make and set yourself specific targets and make them SMART.
Continue to empower your sales team by asking them what works, what doesn’t and where improvement can be found.
Invest time in exploring new solutions. Not only will this potentially enable you to explore new opportunities but also keep ahead with industry trends.
Position yourself as a Thought Leader
A “thought leader” is an individual or organisation that peers, prospects, clients and other stakeholders recognise and associate as being at the foremost of their field. It is not an unfamiliar term and is among the biggest buzzwords in today’s marketing jargon.
The fact is that those who are able to earn this status also gain huge awards, hence its importance.
The value of being a voice of authority in your target market has undisputed benefits. Including the competitive advantage through differentiation, increasing your profitability and not to mention the personal satisfaction. But as they say: nothing in life is for free, and in order to receive these benefits a true “thought leader” must invest in their communities, in both time and the transfer of their knowledge.
So, when commence your journey on the road to becoming a “thought leader” you may want to consider;
- What is your personal brand, tone of voice and how is this articulated?
- Consistent communication through value-added content. Don’t just state the obvious.
- Adopt a progressive approach – challenge the norm. Break the mould and explore new possibilities and ways of thinking
- Build and contribute to networks and communities. Extend and transfer your knowledge past your own email or follower list by sharing your knowledge and reach as a guest blogger or speaker.
- Explore which platforms your audience engage with to research, learn and interact with industry peers
Yes – these tactics require investment of your resource and expertise, but the activity will also enable you to showcase these to potential clients seeking such solutions. As they say – you need to be in it to win it.